IN SERVICE TO THEIR NATION
First To Fly Old Glory Over German Soil :
The Sam Lombardo Story By Richard Barlow Adams
Ten-year-old Sam Lombardo arrived in the United States a week before the 1929 stock market crash . He had come from fascist Italy by ship with his mother and two sisters , cruising past the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor and entering at Ellis Island .
The family then joined their father who was already established as a stonemason in Altoona , PA . Forever aware of and grateful for the God-given opportunity to become an American citizen and live in a truly free country , Sam fastidiously learned a new language , embraced the importance of education , and worked tirelessly to support the family throughout the Depression years .
With the onset of World War II , Sam enlisted in the Pennsylvania National Guard . It was November 11 , 1939 , and he was 20 years old . He was selected for Army Officer Candidate School while a staff sergeant , graduated as a second lieutenant , and served as a valued map-reading instructor for nearly a year and a half despite repeated requests for a combat duty assignment .
Finally , his request to see action came through . In October 1944 , he left for the European Theater as a “ replacement .” In November , he was assigned to the 3rd Battalion of the 394th Infantry Regiment , 99th Infantry Division , as I Company executive officer and its 2nd Platoon commander .
He led his men through the grueling , frost-bitten Battle of the Bulge , through the Allies ’ relentless pushback against Germany ’ s
last offensive , and across the Rhine River into Germany over the Remagen Bridge . They were part of the first American division to enter Germany , where , with immense pride , Sam Lombardo flew the war ’ s first American flag on German soil – a flag his platoon had made when his request for a real flag was denied .
Through periods of nearly continuous combat action , Sam ’ s leadership and valorous actions secured one objective after another and saved countless lives . His attendant awards include the Silver Star , and he humbly recalls one piece of action as having been truly a “ God thing .”
It happened the day his battalion received the mission to traverse an untracked , snowcovered field for about 100 yards in pursuit of retreating Germans . A point man in a sister company was the first to step onto the sparkling white field and become , after a few steps , the casualty of a German Bouncing Betty * mine .
Another man stepped forward and suffered the same fate . Then I Company got the order to advance , and Sam ’ s platoon was ordered forward . His point man collapsed out of fear . Finding the entire platoon paralyzed with fright , Sam announced he would lead the way , that every man was to step in his tracks and , if he went down , another man was to take his place – and if he fell , another man . It was essential that they complete the mission . The tension now almost beyond comprehension , Sam crossed the virgin-white field , one foot after the other , without incident . Every man in his platoon followed … as did the rest of the company and battalion .
A week after completing their mission , the unit was sent to the rear for rest and recuperation . The men arrived at the snowy field they had crossed to find the snow had all melted . Sam could not believe what his eyes beheld : a netted field with a German mine every square meter !
On March 1 , 1962 , after 21 years of military service including in the Korean War and Army intelligence service in Vietnam prior to the American build-up , Lt . Col . Sam Lombardo retired . He is our much beloved and most senior Crispy Warrior , and he continues to serve the country he loves from his bedside . May all who read this join in saluting American patriot Sam Lombardo , a loving husband , having outlived two wives , as well as a brother , father , grandfather , greatgrandfather , poet , and the author of “ O ’ er the Land of the Free ,” ** a memoir chronicling his life and wartime experiences through December 1945 .
* Known as “ Bouncing Bettys ” on the war ’ s Western Front and “ Frog-mines ” on the Eastern Front , these so-called “ bounding mines ,” when triggered , launched into the air to detonate at about three feet above ground , projecting a lethal spray of shrapnel in all directions . ** O ’ er the Land of the Free ,” © 2000 by Sam Lombardo
The Warrior Crispys ’ much loved compatriot , Sam Lombardo , sadly died in June of this year , but not before learning of the soon-to-bepublished-here beautiful poem and story about him penned by his great friend and fellow Crispy Warrior , author Rich Adams . Sam was 101 years young and had enjoyed a life filled with much joy and love . See the special poem about him in Norm “ Frenchy ” LaFountaine ’ s “ Frenchy Connection ” column in Section 3 ( All In 4HERO ) of this magazine .
28 AHERO MAGAZINE SUMMER 2021
Lt Col Sam Lombardo , U . S . Army ( RET ) -Sam was celebrated with fellow centenarian Veterans at the Super Bowl 2020 . Photo is © 2021 Advance Local Media LLC .